One-on-one counseling in a safe, supportive and confidential environment is a key pillar in any addiction or mental health recovery program. Individual counseling is based on the premise that discussing your mental anguish or physical pain can help lessen it. The more you keep your feelings and frustrations bottled up, the greater you will suffer emotionally and physically.
Have you observed an alcohol-dependent relative always looking unkempt and rarely getting out of his home? Is your addiction to painkillers resulting in extreme mood swings and affecting your relationship with your partner, friends, or colleagues? One-on-one addiction therapy services can help you come out of the bubble you’ve created around you and lead a happier, more fulfilling life.
There are many types of individual counseling for substance abuse available in the United States. These include, but are not limited to dialectical behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, and client-centered talk therapies.
To learn more about individual counseling, read the following blogs:
- Substance Abuse Counseling Information
- Top Benefits of Individual Therapy For Addiction
- Benefiting From Individualized Care: Your Guide
Benefits of Individual Counseling
On its own, individual therapy is helpful for maintaining recovery. But it is more effective when combined with group therapy, which gives you the opportunity to learn about others’ struggles, practice open communication, and develop positive relationships.
When you begin counseling with a master therapist at Crestview Recovery, you will:
- Identify the triggers that push you to use drugs, drink alcohol or feel intense emotions
- Share personal stories in a private setting, which will help you rationalize your fears and separate yourself from your problems.
- In collaboration with your therapist, design a recovery plan that aligns with your needs and abilities
- Receive support and encouragement to meet your recovery goals
- Build your confidence and self-esteem
- Stay focused on your goals through your weekly or biweekly sessions with your therapist
Counseling sessions help you uncover valuable insights about yourself or your situation that you wouldn’t have discovered on your own. Additionally, the motivation you receive from your therapist and others in group therapy will increase your desire to change.
Approaches to Individual Addiction or Mental Health Therapy
Addiction and trauma don’t disappear with a couple of individual counseling sessions. There is also the risk of relapse during early recovery, which needs to be addressed during and if possible after recovery, through an aftercare relapse prevention program. One-on-one therapies include approaches that teach you to proactively manage and control your addiction. The approaches help your recovery process in the following ways:
- Making you acknowledge that you are living with an addiction or mental health problem (overcoming denial)
- Empowering you with strategies to respond in the negative to cravings, such as taking a walk, talking to a friend, going for a drive or engaging in any activity that shifts the focus of your thoughts
- Equipping you with affirmation techniques that remind you of your progress and motivate you to abstain
- Making lifelong recovery a priority
What to Expect in Therapy
Addiction and trauma are well-addressed by one-on-one counseling. The therapist will teach you different ways to cope with stress and anxiety, such as breathing exercises and meditation. Therapy includes both talk sessions and homework assignments. Homework may involve writing prompts meant to give your subconscious a platform for emotional release.
In general, you can expect therapy to deepen your self-knowledge. You may learn why or how you wound up suffering from addiction, and what triggers your addictive behavior. Consequently, this therapy can help free you from the grip of addiction. In therapy, you can also expect to learn new, healthier coping mechanisms that help you face challenges in your life.
Being in recovery from addiction takes a lot of commitment, both on your part and the part of those who support you. The effort, however, is well worth it. You’ll not only feel better about yourself, but you’ll also enjoy your life more. And that’s what matters the most.
Develop a Positive Therapeutic Alliance at Crestview Recovery
Our master therapists conduct individual and group therapy for a broad spectrum of substance addiction, including alcohol, cocaine, and prescription drugs. They also lead one-on-one sessions for patients living with mental health issues such as borderline personality disorder and childhood trauma.
The Crestview facility offers a safe, empathetic, and lively atmosphere. We apply both evidence-based practice and holistic rehab approaches such as outdoor therapy and art therapy to encourage all-around healing. Call us at 866.262.0531 to take the first steps towards transforming your life.